The Phycocyanin Market

Market Size

Annual Growth Rate

Price Per Tonne

Regulatory

US FDA approved for use as natural food colourant

Pond & Phycocyanin

Blue Spirulina grown by Pond

Phycocyanin is extracted from a protein complex in Spirulina (A. platensis). It’s quality and price vary according to its purity ratio, i.e. the concentration of Phycocyanin versus the amount of other proteins.

Spirulina is produced in outdoor open systems, in both Hawaii and parts of Asia which are prone to contamination. Some Asian imports have trace amounts of lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and aluminum.

Meanwhile, enclosed, controlled systems (like Pond’s) produce a higher quality product that may be able to demand a superior price.

Pond’s design for its first commercial plant has an annual capacity of nearly 2000 tonnes of Spirulina which could contain 10% to 20% phycocyanin.